Uber to launch delivery robots in the UK next month

Uber Eats will begin deploying food-delivery robots in Sheffield and Leeds “before the end of the year”.

Uber plans to launch delivery robots in the UK in December.

Uber Eats has vowed to start deploying autonomous delivery droids in two cities in the UK “before the end of the year” after joining forces with the robotics company Starship Technologies.

The two companies are working together on a worldwide rollout of Uber Eats food-bots, which will begin in Britain this year before moving on to Europe in 2026 and the US in 2027.

The partnership is due to get underway in Sheffield and Leeds in a matter of weeks.

Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous, said: “Autonomous delivery is an exciting part of how we see the future of Uber Eats.

“Together with Starship, we’re bringing this future to life across multiple continents.”

Maredia added that the service would “deliver efficient and affordable experiences” for Uber users.

The first bots will arrive in Leeds next month and will operate at “level 4 autonomy” – meaning that they can function completely independently without the need for human oversight.

Starship claims that the bots will be able to complete deliveries “in under 30 minutes” to addresses as far as two miles away.

The company’s boss Ahti Heinla said: “Together, we’re building the infrastructure that will define the next generation of urban logistics.

“Uber Eats has built the world’s leading delivery platform, with the widest reach, trusted by millions across 10,000 cities. We bring scalable autonomous technology that works profitably at city scale.”

Up to 10 Uber-branded robots will begin deliveries in Leeds at first, although customers won’t be able to leave them a tip.

Starship robots are already operating in the UK but the new bots will only make deliveries for Uber Eats and will feature the company’s branding.

The company explained: “Starship robots are 99 per cent autonomous.

“They learn with every journey – and they’ve safely completed millions more deliveries than any competitor.

“Our robots deliver hot food, groceries and industrial supplies, using a combination of radars, cameras, sensors and machine learning to identify objects and navigate the world around them.”